Shchi (cabbage soup) on chicken broth

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   Gather all the ingredients you need. We'll make the shchi on chicken broth. You'll need chicken for the broth — it doesn't matter which parts you use: it can be a pricey white-meat breast, or thighs, or even chicken necks. It's best to use fresh vegetables, ideally from the new season's crop.

2. Step 2:

   

   First make the broth. Rinse the chicken well — the better you rinse it, the less foam forms while the broth cooks. You can even soak the chicken in cold water for 30 minutes, then drain the water.

3. Step 3:

   

   Cover the chicken with clean water, then bring it to a boil, turn down the heat, and cook, skimming the foam constantly, for 30 minutes. Don't let the heat get high — keep it at its lowest, and it's best to cover the pot.

4. Step 4:

   

   Lift the chicken out of the broth with a slotted spoon. The broth is ready. You can use it right away, the next day, or even freeze it.

5. Step 5:

   

   Wash the carrot well and peel it — a vegetable peeler is best for this, since it takes off the skin as thinly as possible.

6. Step 6:

   

   Peel the onion and dice it. To make the onion easier to peel and less sharp, soak it for about 20 minutes in cold water first.

7. Step 7:

   

   In a skillet with the oil, saute the onion and carrot for about 7 minutes, until the onion is golden. You can use any vegetable oil, but since it's for frying, use refined oil.

8. Step 8:

   

   Add the saute to the broth and cook over low heat.

9. Step 9:

   

   Peel the potato, cut it into medium cubes, and add it to the pot too.

10. Step 10:

    

    Wash the cabbage, remove the top 2 or 3 leaves, and shred it. Add it to the pot with the rest of the ingredients. Keep cooking over low heat. I should add: if you want to make sour shchi, use sauerkraut instead of fresh white cabbage.

11. Step 11:

    

    Add the minced garlic clove. I pressed mine, but you can grate it or chop it with a knife.

12. Step 12:

    

    Cut the meat off the chicken you cooked the broth with and return it to the pot. If you prefer meatless soups, you can skip this and use the chicken however you like. Cook for about 20 minutes total after adding the potato — that's how long it takes for the potato to cook through.

13. Step 13:

    

    Right at the end, season the soup with salt.

14. Step 14:

    

    Serve the hot shchi with sour cream. Enjoy!